Washing machine



July 15, 1941.- BKEREY 7 2,249,562

WASHING MACHINE Filed May 17, 193 8 Patented July-15, 1941 2,249,562 WASHING MACHINE James B. Kirby, West Bichfield, Ohio, assignor to The Apex' Electrical Manufacturing Company, as trustee, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May I7, 1938, Serial No. 208,374

. 4 Claims.

This invention relates to washing machines of the gyrator type and in particular to the agitator or dolly for such a machine.

Theinvention has for its objects the provision of an improved form of washing machine employing an agitator which is adapted during'its operation to .thoroughly circulate the fluid and clothes in a washing machine tub and to cause the tub contents to move alternately upwardly and downwardly and inwardly and outwardly away from the agitator so that all of the clothes in the tub are periodically brought within the zone of action of the agitator and are thoroughly cleansed in a relatively short time, the agitator being adapted to accomplish the washing operation without undue wear or tearing or tangling of the clothes as they are being washed and without excessive splashing of the washing fluid. A further object of the invention relates to the provision of an agitator of the type described which may be formed from a single die-casting or permanent-mold casting.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent and better understood after consideration has been given to the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the drawing which shows, merely by way cit-illustration, structure adapted for carrying out the objects of the invention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a washing machine illustrating one embodiment of the invention and Figure 2 is a plan view of'the agitator alone, which in Figure 1 is shown in operative position in a washing machine.

In the form of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the improved agitator to which this in-.

' vention relates is'shown in place in a washing machine tub I carried on a base member 2 and operatively driven by suitable mechanism housed within a gear 'case 3. This mechanism maybe of the conventional type employing'a reciprocating rack bar 4 and a pinion 5 fixed to an agitator'shaft 8 which traverses the bottom of the tub. .Power means (not shown) may be provided to reciprocate the rack bar I. The shaft 6 may be connected to the agitator by any of the well-known means, as for example, a socket connection in the hub part 1 of the agitator. An elongated screw la threadably received in the top of the agitator shaft 6 may be used to securely hold the agitator in place.

The agitator itself comprises a circular base part 8, the top face of which is formed with a plurality. of annular surfaces l0, H and I! of stepped construction and located one above the other as shown in the drawing. A plurality of radially extending, liquid lmpelling vanes or blades l3, I4 and I5 project upwardly from the base of the agitator. While the form of the inwardly to the axis of the agitator.

vention disclosed herein employs three blades it is, of course, understood that the same may employ a greater or lesser number of blades, preferably not less than two blades or more than four blades. It is .also preferred to arrange such blades symmetrically about the axis of the agitator. This arrangement, however, need not be rigidly adhered to as the exact spacing of the adjacent blades may be varied somewhat without materially changing the action of the agitator.

The blades may be provided with perforations such as l3a and I50; of the blades l3 and [5 for the purpose of enhancing the washing action by providing for a flow of the washing fluidthrough portions of each of the blades to cause movement of the washing fluid through the pores of the fabric of articles being washed, the holes being of such size so as toprevent the articles being washed from passing therethrough. In addition to the flow of fluid through the pores of the fabric of the articles being laundered, the articles are also subjected to greater rubbing action because the movement of the washing fluid through the holes of the agitator draws the clothes against the faces of the blades of the agitator.

The lowermost portion of each of the blades extends substantially to-the peripheral edge of the base of the agitator. The outer edge of each blade then curves inwardly a slight amount from the agitator base for approximately one-third of the height of the agitator, whereupon its curvature changes and it extends outwardly and upwardly to define a warped wing tip, the edge of which is curvedsomewhat after the form of the letter S. The lower portion of this part of the vane is inclined at 13b, Nb and [5b in a counterclockwise direction whereas the upper portion of the same part of the vane is inclined at l3c, Me and I50 in a clockwise direction.v

The edge of the vane extends from the portion I30, I40 and I50 of the difierent vanes, radially inwardly on a substantially horizontal plane for some distance and then upwardly for a slight distance whereupon it progresses horizontally in- The outer portions of the upper sections vof the vanes are inclined in a counterclockwise direction as indicated at l3d, Md and lid. The portion of the vane l3 radially inwardly of the broken line A may be substantially flat and vertical, as shown,

and the corresponding portions of the other two blades may be of the same configuration.

ment of the fluid and clothes adjacent to the advancing faces of the blades while at the sametime the rear faces of'the blades produce a suction effect which draws the clothes inwardly behind such faces and in this manner, the clothes are alternately moved in a radial direction toward and from the side walls of the tub. Atthe same time that this is taking place, the curved or warped portions or wing tips of the blades produce upward and downward currents which increase the agitating eiiect on the clothes.

7 In the operation of the conventional gyrator type washing machine agitator employing a plurality of vertically disposed impellerv blades or vanes, during the oscillation of the agitator about its axis, which ordinarily corresponds to the axis of the tub in which the agitator is mounted, the impeller vanes move the fluid and clothes in the tub circularly first in one direction and then in a reverse direction about the agitator axis while at the same time effecting a radially outward movement of the fluid and clothes for movement of the vanes in either direction.

The circular movements of the fluid and clothes being substantially equal and pposite are substantially. neutralized upon reversal of the movement of the agitator and are in part transformed from movements in horizontal directions to movements at right angles thereto. The intensity of agitation is a function of the .velocity and area of, the agitator vane and the impelling effect is naturally greatest for those portions of the vane which are farthest from the agitator axis.

In the operation of the instant machine, the fluid and clothes adjacent to the inclined or curved parts I31; and I30, Nb and c, and lib and I50 of the agitator are strongly propelled first in one direction and then in a reverse direction about the axis of the tub. These currents of the liquid which occur most strongly in the intermediate portions of the height of the tub contents, incline 'downwardly from clockwise movement of the agitator and incline upwardly for counterclockwise movement of the agitator because of the inclination of the aforesaid portions of the vanes.

The inclination of the oppositely moving currents permits them to flow by each other without neutralizing the movement of the fluid to the extent that takes place when the currents are directly opposite to each other and this results in a turning or tumbling motion being imparted to the fluid and clothes, which greatly enhances the washing-eificiency of the agitator.

Another highly desirable advantage resulting from this mode of operation is the pronounced reduction in the splashing at the top level of the water as compared with the splashing occurring when perfectly straight vanes of the same general shape and dimensions are used.

In the normal use of this agitator, it is preferred that the water level be slightly below the top'of the agitator as indicated in Figure 1, so

as to keep the clothes from becoming hooked or suspended over the top of the agitator. The vane portions l3d, Md and 15d also assist in preventing the clothes from becoming suspended over the top of the agitator by causing an out-. ward movement of the fluid and clothes at this point. The upright edges of the upper sections of the vanes, which edges incline slightly away from the axis of the agitator, effectively prevent the articles being washed from climbing up over the top of the central portion of the agitator.

The stepped construction of the base of the agitator provides a series of rubbingor scrubbing corrugations or projections which also aid in effecting the washing operation.

In agitators of the type to which this invention relates, it is important that the same be constructed and arranged so that the clothes do not work beneath the agitator and in the present instance, .this.result has been accomplished by cutting away the lowermost portion of the vanes, as shown in the drawing, so that there is nothing near the base of the agitator upon which the clothes may be caught and thus wrapped around the base or pulled into the space beneath the edge of the agitator base and the tub.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the blade or vanes l3, I4 and I5 are proportioned so that each vane will be of minimum width at its. uppermost portion, of maximum width at the portion therebelow and of intermediate width at the lowermost portion of the vane. The relatively large area of each of the vanes insures the rapid and thorough washing of all of the articles of a batch of laundry. The inclined currents .which are set up during the oscillation of the agitator are substantially equal in intensity and generally opposite in direction. Y

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A washing machine comprising a tub, an agitator mounted in said tub for movement about a vertical axis and means for driving said agitator with a reversely rotary movement, said agitator having a plurality of upright, radially extending, liquid impelling vanes with outer portions inclined with respect to the horizontal and reversely inclined with respect to the portions of the blade radially inward thereof.

2. An agitator comprising a base, a central portion extending vertically therefrom, a series of radially spaced, substantially flat, vertical vanes extending outwardly from said central portion, said vanes varying in width from top to bottom and having a sinusoidal contour in that portion having the greatest width.

3. .In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, of an agitator comprising a base, a support carried thereby and vertically disposed thereon, a plurality of vanes disposed in radial relation to said support and each including reversely-arranged substantially-concave lobes disposed at an angle to the vertical andserving to deflect the cleansing fluid alternately upwardly and downwardly in currents angular to the vertical, and an upper lobe arranged above each group of the reversely-arranged lobes and serving to break up the disturbance of the cleansing fluid at its surface induced by the reversely-arranged lobes.

4. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, of an agitator comprising a base of stepped formation, a support carried thereby and vertically disposed thereon, a plurality of vanes disposed in radial relation to said support and each including reversely-arranged substantially-concave lobes disposed at an angle to the vertical and serving to deflect the cleansing fluid alternately upwardly and downwardly in currents angular to the vertical, and an upper lobe ar-- 

